China’s Railway Equipment “Going Out” Made Improvement Achievements Again

According to China State Railway Group Co., Ltd., on June 6 local time in Serbia, the first batch of 50-meter “customized” steel rails made in China was successfully delivered to the Yerovo track laying base of the Hungary-Serbia Railway in Novi Sad and will be applied to the track laying construction of the Nuosu section of the Hungary-Serbia Railway in Serbia. It is reported that this is the first time that China-made 50-meter steel rails have been exported to the European market, and China’s railway equipment “going out” has achieved important results again.

Transporting the 50-meter steel rails made in China to Serbia faced difficult challenges such as long-distance ocean voyages and multiple transshipments of goods. China Railway International Co., Ltd. took the lead in organizing the Chinese railway team to carefully study the transportation plan, focus on detail control, strengthen communication and coordination with all parties, and ensure the safety and quality of transportation. The first batch of steel rails was shipped from Tianjin Port on March 22, arrived at Koper Port in Slovenia on May 27, and then arrived at the Sayarovo track-laying base of the Hungary-Serbia Railway by rail transport train.

The Hungary-Serbia Railway is a key project of the Belt and Road Initiative jointly built by China and Central and Eastern European countries. It is the first project to align China’s railway technology and equipment with the EU’s technical specifications for railway connectivity. At the beginning of the construction of the Nosu section, the international company led the organization of the Chinese team, conducted close communication with the Serbian side on the application of Chinese-made materials, actively organized domestic manufacturers to study and implement European standards and certification requirements, carefully customized 50 meters of steel rails, and gradually won the trust of the Serbian side. In September 2022, Serbia approved and agreed to purchase steel rails from China, and Chinese-made steel rails successfully opened the door to the European market.

In February 2023, the steel rails made in China successfully passed the strict factory inspection and acceptance of the Serbian supervision and were highly praised. At the same time, the TSI certification data of Chinese-made steel rails has also been recognized by the supervisory agency and NOBO agency Ricardo, eliminating technical and certification obstacles and taking a key step in the export of steel rails to Europe.

The successful delivery of Chinese-made steel rails to Serbia and their application on the Hungary-Serbia Railway is of great significance for enhancing Serbia’s sense of recognition of Chinese products and promoting more Chinese railway technology and equipment to enter the European market. According to industry insiders, this will provide a strong impetus for the international development of China’s railway industry and will also help China and Serbia to further deepen cooperation in the railway field.